1. Field of the Invention
Many organic molecules may be crystallized or oriented, if at all, only laboriously and frequently with only partial success. The ability to orient or crystallize a wide variety of molecules readily could open up new areas of insight into molecular structure as well as new applications for these molecules.
One area of interest is the study of structure and structural relationship between molecules. For example, antibodies and enzymes are interesting receptor molecules whose structure and relationship with their ligands is of substantial scientific interest which could lead to practical applications. However, these molecules and their complexes with their respective ligands have often proved intransigent in the preparation of samples for X-ray crystallography.
Crystallization also imparts properties to compositions which are not available to the composition in the non-crystalline state. Crystallized or oriented molecules, can find use in optics, electronics, as structural elements, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Non-specific adsorption and hexagonal ordering of ferritin was reported by Fromberg, Nature (1971) 231:267-268. Hexagonal patches of ferritin also form on a carbon source in the absence of a lipid monolayer. Feder and Giaever, J. of Colloid and Interface Science (1980) 78:144-154. C&EN, Oct. 4, 1982, page 19 describes the use of a monolayer for oriented polymerization of alkynylcarboxylic acids.